Airsoft And Elmos Are Keeping Hattiesburg Weird
Two new EPs (demos?) dropped on the Earth Girl Tapes Bandcamp page this week. Both are extremely worth your time. Earth Girl Tapes, you may recall, is the DIY punk label run out of Hattiesburg, home base for MSPAINT and other weirdo punk bands. Airsoft and Elmos are both bringing unique kinds of off-kilter energy to the genre on these new cassettes.
Airsoft’s New Eyes is maybe better understood as noise-pop. Opening track “Camry” is like the Flaming Lips or the Polyphonic Spree ramped up to Sleigh Bells levels of distorted intensity. From there the band skates off into something like neon post-punk crossed with fey indie-pop on “Shell Pink.” It stays intriguing and exhilarating from there. Elmos are harder, heavier, and overall a lot closer to hardcore or punk with a nasty electronic edge. Their self-titled tape combines a bunch of short, violent songs that basically never let up even (especially) when infused with bursts of wacky energy.
Hear both releases below.